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Further and Higher Education Colleges
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if, pursuant to his answer of 20 January, Official Report, column 282, he will list those institutions who have applied
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to him to be incorporated under sections 15 and 16 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 and which wish to designate themselves colleges of further and higher education.Mr. Boswell : In addition to those institutions listed in my reply to the hon. Member on 20 January, the following colleges, which have been incorporated under section 15 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, have applied to my right hon. Friend to adopt the title college of further and higher education :
Grimsby College of Technology and Arts
Guildford College of Technology
Northbrook College of Design and Technology, Worthing.
Medical School Applicants
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information he has on the percentage of United Kingdom resident medical school applicants accepted, broken down by sex and by ethnic origin, distinguishing (a) Asian-Bangladeshi, (b) Asian-Chinese, (c) Asian-Indian, (d) Asian-Pakistani, (e) Asian--other, (f) total Asian, (g) black, (h) white and (i) total ; and what are the percentages for each medical school.
Mr. Boswell : Universities Central Council on Admissions statistics show that 51 per cent. of all accepted home applicants for undergraduate medical courses in autumn 1991 were women. The UCCA does not publish information on the ethnic origin of applicants by subject category, nor for individual universities.
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ENVIRONMENT
Structure Plan, Hampshire
Mr. Malone : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to approve the structure plan submitted by Hampshire county council.
Mr. Baldry : As soon as possible.
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Boundary Commission
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in how many cases he has overruled a Boundary Commission's recommendations in London since 1989 ; and if he will identify changes proposed by the commission in each case.
Mr. Robin Squire : The table gives details of the decisions made so far on Local Government Boundary Commission reviews of London. None of the rejected proposals was referred back to the commission for a fresh review.
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Table showing the number of rejected proposals on the London boundary reviews
Report Number |Name of area |Number of proposals |Number rejected |Name(s) of rejected
|proposals
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
594 |Barnet |13 |0 |---
598 |Bexley |16 |1 |Stanham Farm
610 |Harrow |26 |0 |---
615 |Croydon |80 |0 |---
618 |Waltham Forest |48 |0 |---
620 |Bromley |46 |1 |Stonehouse
622 |Greenwich |28 |4 |Thamesmead
623 |Croydon |12 |0 |---
624 |Lambeth |10 |0 |---
632 |Crystal Palace |20 |0 |---
634 |Tower Hamlets | 5 |0 |---
636 |City of London |27 |0 |---
637 |Southwark |17 |0 |---
638 |Islington |14 |0 |---
641 |Bromley |53 |0 |---
642 |Greenwich |14 |0 |---
647 |Richmond upon Thames |2 |0 |---
648 |Redbridge |21 |4 |Woodford Green, Grange Hill
652 |Hounslow |33 |0 |---
653 |Lewisham |28 |0 |---
654 |Havering |45 |1 |Rush Green
656 |Camden |22 |3 |Regents Park, Fitzrovia
666 |Westminster | 5 |0 |---
672 |Enfield |46 |0 |---
676 |Hillingdon |16 |0 |---
EC Environmental Directives
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what additional resources his Department will commit to providing the European Commission with data in regard to the annual report on implementation and enforcement of EC environmental directives and regulations.
Mr. Maclean : The Commission's plan to present to the Environment Council the findings of their annual report on environmental legislation arises from an initiative we took as presidency to encourage other member states and the Commission to take implementation and reporting as seriously as we do. The United Kingdom need commit no new resources.
PM Particulates
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the major sources of PM particulates in the local atmosphere ; what are the principal health effects ; and whether he will set an air quality standard for PM .
Mr. Maclean : The major sources of PM particulates in the local atmosphere are fuel conbustion--in towns and cities, principally diesel and petrol--wind-blown dusts both natural and man-made and aerosol particles formed
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by chemical reactions of primary pollution emissions. At high concentrations particulate material in conjunction with sulphur dioxide can exacerbate respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis, and can lead to reductions in lung function. Trace amounts of carcinogens can also occur in association with airborne particulates. My Department, in close collaboration with the Department of Health, has established the expert panel on air quality standards to develop recommendations for possible new standards and guidelines for air quality in the United Kingdom. The panel is considering several air pollutants, one of which is PM , and will report on these in due course.Air Pollution
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many enhanced urban network air pollution monitoring stations he plans to establish in urban areas by 2000 ; which sites are already committed ; what criteria will be used to prioritise commitments to future sites ; and what resources he will make available to local authorities without enhanced urban network stations who wish to undertake quality-assured air quality monitoring.
Mr. Maclean : In the second year report on the environment White Paper, "This Common Inheritance", we announced our intention to continue the expansion of the urban network to cover all major cities by 1997. The
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precise number of stations will depend on the availability of resources. Stations are already operating or expected to come into operation this year in London, Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Newcastle, Leeds, Bristol, Liverpool, Hull, Leicester and Southampton.In determining priorities for future sites my Department will take account of factors such as population and associated traffic activity, other significant local sources of pollution and any other local features, such as topography, that may be of relevance.
My Department will issue a discussion paper later this year on how central and local monitoring efforts can best be integrated and supported, taking account of the need for adequate quality assurance and control. Meanwhile, my Department is pleased to help local authorities with documentation and advise on these matters so far as resources permit.
Local Authority Debts
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the methodology for the future treatment of accumulated local authority debt, in circumstances where an authority ceases to exist as a result of local government reorganisation.
Mr. Robin Squire : I would expect the assets and liabilities of such local authorities to be transferred to successor authorities, as in previous reorganisations of local government. But the detailed financial implications of reorganisation are still under consideration.
Sustainable Development
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to publish the proceedings of the seminar on sustainable development policies for Britain which his Department is holding in Oxford in March.
Mr. Maclean : My Department will hold a seminar at Green college, Oxford, from 18 to 20 March with a range of people from other Departments and outside government to inform our thinking about the report which the United Kingdom must submit to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development this year. Green college will produce a summary of highlights from the discussion which will be distributed to many people with whom we are discussing the preparation of the report. I shall place a copy in the Library of the House. The seminar itself is just one part of a wide public consultation exercise.
Environmental Policy
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from among the United Kingdom research community and environmentalists on the level of Government funding for research on international environmental policy issues ; and what assessment he has made of the performance of Economic and Social Research Council and other Government-funded research programmes in this area.
Mr. Maclean : My Department is in frequent contact with the United Kingdom research community and environmentalists on the levels and direction of research on international environmental policy issues.
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Responsibility for assessing the performance of ESRC and other Government-funded research programmes rests with the funding bodies concerned.Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to set up a consultation process with academic specialists, environmental groups and other expert parties in order to establish national and international environmental research programmes, along the lines of that operated in the Netherlands.
Mr. Maclean : My Department already operates a well-established, comprehensive system of consultation on its research programmes.
East Thames Corridor
Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made on the proposed development of the east Thames corridor ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : The report by the consultants commissioned by my right hon. Friend the Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine) in 1991 into the potential of the east Thames corridor for development and environmental enhancement was received in November 1992. Consideration is being given to the findings of that study in the context of the wider planning guidance for the south-east, which is under review. It is hoped to publish consultation papers on the regional guidance and the east Thames corridor in the near future.
Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received about air quality and air pollution along the east Thames corridor.
Mr. Maclean : The Department has received three representations in the last three months.
Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received about the proposed east Thames corridor development.
Mr. Baldry : Frequent representations are received from local authorities, business interests, the development industry, organisations concerned with the conservation of the natural and built environment and others about the studies which are being undertaken of the east Thames corridor and about future planning policy for the area.
Parliament Square (Air Quality)
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what records his Department has of the results of monitoring air quality at Parliament square, Westminster.
Mr. Maclean : My Department has no records of air quality at Parliament square, Westminster.
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Duncan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make an announcement about his Department's spending plans for the years 1993-94 to 1995-96.
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Mr. Howard : Yes. I have today published my Department's annual report for 1993, Cm 2207. This sets out in detail the outcome of the public expenditure survey announced in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's autumn statement on 12 November 1992. It also provides the policy background to each of the spending programmes and policies and information on performance targets, output measures and value for money.
The report sets out what we are doing to improve the quality of life internationally, nationally and locally. This is the central thread which ties all our policies together.
This is true whether the policies and programmes are aimed at protecting the environment ; enhancing, and improving access to, the countryside ; regenerating the inner cities ; helping every family to have a decent home or improving the framework for the delivery of local government services.
The environment is at the forefront of the agenda for each of these areas, and details of how environmental objectives are integrated into the Department's work are provided throughout the report. The report plays a key part in the Department's accountability to Parliament and to the public --a significant theme of the citizens charter--with its performance and plans laid out for all to see.
Rural Petrol Stations
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the implications of the EC directive on vapour recovery for the operation of rural petrol stations.
Mr. Maclean : A draft EC directive is under consideration which would require the recovery of vapour from the storage and distribution of petrol in order to minimise emissions of volatile organic compounds. We welcome this in principle. However, our consultations with industry, including the operators of petrol stations, suggest that the costs of compliance with the proposed directive in its present form could represent an unreasonable burden on small stations in rural areas for very little environmental benefits. We are therefore seeking an exemption for such stations from the requirement to fit vapour recovery equipment.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Rubber Bullets
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on which date rubber bullets were first issued to security forces in Northern Ireland ; and whether rubber bullets were available to soldiers in Northern Ireland in January 1972.
Mr. Mates : Rubber bullets were first made available to members of the security forces in Northern Ireland in 1970 and remained in use until 1975, when they were replaced by plastic baton rounds.
Market Testing
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the firms of consultants used by his Department as part of the market testing programme since November 1991 together with the total cost ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Mates : The following firms of consultants have been used to advise on the Northern Ireland market testing programme since November 1991 :
BET FM Ltd.
CAPITA
Coopers & Lybrand Deloitte
Helm Corporation
Leopold Joseph & Sons
Logicom
Michael Willacy Associates
MVM Consultants Plc
SERCO
Symonds Facilities Management Plc
Witt Thornton (Management Services)
The total cost was £348,549.
In line with the White Paper "Competing for Quality", private sector consultancies have helped to determine the most promising new areas for market testing and contracting out and have also been used to strengthen Northern Ireland Departments' market testing capability.
Suckler Cow Premium
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many late applications were received for suckler cow premium in respect of 1990 and 1991 ; and how many of these were (a) paid in full, (b) paid in part and (c) refused.
Mr. Hanley : The information is as follows :
|1990|1991
----------------------------------------------------
Number of late applications received |124
(a)Number paid in full |- |-
(b)Number paid in part |85 |51
(c)Number refused |39 |23
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many late applications for suckler cow premium in respect of 1992 he has received to date.
Mr. Hanley : Two hundred and thirty-three to date.
TRANSPORT
Airports (Credit Approvals)
Sir Jerry Wiggin : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will now announce the 1993-94 supplementary credit approvals for public airport companies and local authority airports.
Mr. Norris : Supplementary credit approvals totalling £12 million will be available for public airport companies and local authority airports for 1993-94. These credit approvals, together with other resources which public airport companies expect at this stage to invest, will assist the airports concerned to provide facilities which they estimate could cost some £83 million in 1993-94. We have today agreed to supplementary credit approvals totalling £4 million at this stage. The projects concerned include the continuation of work on the south apron and taxiway and on the new control tower and fire station at Coventry airport, runway resurfacing at Exeter airport and lighting schemes at Biggin Hill airport. Formal supplementary credit approvals for these and other projects will be issued to the local authorities shortly.
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The £12 million supplementary credit approval provision for local authority airports, used in conjunction with airports' internal resources, will ensure that safety and security schemes can proceed. We look to the private sector to play the major role in financing significant airport expansion.Tanker Routes
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to ensure that tankers and owners use a shipping route west of St. Kilda.
Mr. Norris : Tanker routeing around the United Kingdom coast, including St. Kilda, will be considered by Lord Donaldson in his inquiry. Pending the outcome of that inquiry, a voluntary code is being developed which will place restrictions on tankers navigating through sensitive areas.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has submitted proposals for the attention of the EC Council of Transport and Environmental Ministers in respect of tanker exclusion zones on environmental and safety grounds ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : As my noble friend the Minister for Shipping announced on 4 February, agreement in principle has been reached with organisations representing oil companies, tanker operators and shipping interests on voluntary measures in the form of a code to be promulgated by mid-March, which it is intended will include restrictions on tankers operating in sensitive areas. The code will be transmitted by the Government to the International Maritime Organisation for consideration and endorsement by the maritime safety committee in May with a view to publication internationally as an addition to the "Ship Routeing" document issued by the IMO. I will draw these developments to the attention of the European Commission.
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what was the outcome of the EC Council of Transport and Environment Ministers on 25 January concerning tanker exclusion zones ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what timetables have been agreed by (a) the EC Council of Ministers and (b) the United Nations International Maritime Organisation for the consideration of submissions for tanker exclusion zones ; and what is the relationship between the two timetables.
Mr. Norris : The EC Council of Transport and Environment Ministers urged the Commission to bring forward its communication on maritime safety so that a first discussion of it can take place at the March meeting of the Transport Council. Among other matters to be examined in the communication is identification of areas of ecological interest for which restrictions, such as routeing measures or areas to be avoided, might be appropriate. No timetable has been agreed either in the EC or in the IMO for consideration of any proposals that may emerge.
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which sensitive areas around the coast of Northern Ireland are included in the areas to be avoided by tankers ; and which fishermen's organisations were consulted in preparation of the voluntary agreement between his Department and the oil companies.
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Mr. Norris : It is too early to anticipate the detailed provisions of the voluntary agreement, including the designated sensitive areas, that is being developed by industry. The following fishermen's organisations attended the meeting on 4 February that led to the concept of the code :
National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations.
Scottish Fishermen's Federation.
Marine Safety
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the new areas which he will propose to the May meeting of the International Maritime Organisation marine safety committee as recommendations for the status of areas to be avoided ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : No decision has yet been taken to propose any new "areas to be avoided" to the IMO. The routeing of tankers, among other issues, is within the terms of reference of the inquiry to be conducted by Lord Donaldson. Pending the outcome of that inquiry, officials met with organisations representing oil companies, tanker operators and shipping interests on 4 February and agreed in principle voluntary measures in the form of a code to be promulgated by mid-March, which it is intended will include restrictions on tankers operating in sensitive areas. The code will be transmitted by the Government to the IMO for consideration and endorsement by the maritime safety committee in May with a view to publication internationally as an addition to the "Ship Routeing" document issued by the IMO.
Model Aircraft (Air-misses)
Mr. Malone : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the air-miss incidents involving model aircraft flying (a) within and (b) outwith controlled air space which have been reported to the Civil Aviation Authoirity since reporting of such incidents was made mandatory.
Mr. Norris : The records of the Civil Aviation Authority's safety data and analysis unit show that between April 1977 and December 1992 there have been 12 reports of air misses between model aircraft and real aircraft. Of these six took place in controlled air space. The other six took place outside controlled air space, but of these three were in aerodrome traffic zones.
In addition, between June 1979 and May 1992, there have been four collisions between full size aircraft and other airborne objects which are believed to have been model aircraft. Also since 1987 there have been three fatal accidents involving model aircraft ; in one case a hang glider pilot was killed and the other two each resulted in the death of a person on the ground.
Vehicle Inspectorate
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to privatise the Vehicle Inspectorate agency ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : My right hon. Friend has consulted publicly on the future of the Vehicle Inspectorate's heavy goods and passenger- carrying vehicle testing functions, including the scope for private sector
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involvement ; the consultation document made clear that he does not consider the inspectorate's enforcement functions appropriate for privatisation. He is considering a decision in the light of the consultees' responses and will make an announcement in due course.Maritime Emergency Oganisation
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the timetable of his proposals in respect of the privatisation of the Marine Emergency Organisation.
Mr. Norris : We have no plans to privatise the MEO. We are currently considering the possibility of executive agency status.
DVOIT
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the timetable for the privatisation of the Driver, Vehicles and Operators Information Technology agency.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : My right hon. Friend announced proposals for the privatisation of DVOIT on 19 October 1992, Official Report, column 209. I expect that DVOIT will move into the private sector by about the end of 1993.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the timetable of his proposals in respect of the privatisation of the DVLA.
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